Air conditioners have become standard equipment on many automobiles. In particular, air conditioners have become standard equipment on automobiles sold in that part of the United States where warm weather is prevalent. However, despite the almost ubiquitous presence of air conditioners in modern automobiles, the inclusion of air conditioners as standard equipment in automobiles is a relatively recent phenomenon when compared to the long history of the automobile. Specifically, for the first five decades of the 20th century most automobile manufacturers did not offer air conditioners even as optional accessory equipment. In the 1950's, about the time when automobile electrical systems switched from 6-volt systems to 12-volt systems, automobile manufacturers began to offer air conditioners as an expensive accessory item. However, because of the cost, many car buyers did not purchase an air conditioner as an on-board accessory item when purchasing a new car.
The lack of air conditioners in many older automobiles has created an interesting dilemma for those automobile hobbyists interested in rebuilding, restoration or modification of older automobiles manufactured during the 20th century. The dilemma is that those desiring to enjoy the feeling of driving a restored older automobile must often do so without an air conditioner. This dilemma is also experienced by those automobile hobbyists interested in the building of “hot rods,” “street rods” or “custom cars” using 20th century automobiles that did not come from the factory with an on-board air conditioner as an accessory item.
Out of the dilemma of not having air conditioners for older 20th century automobiles has arisen an industry which provides air conditioning system kits for old cars, rebuilt automobiles, restored automobiles, hot rods, street rods and custom cars. These air conditioning system kits for old cars, rebuilt automobiles, restored automobiles, hot rods, street rods and custom cars include all of the basic components found in a modern automobile air conditioning system such as an engine-driven compressor, a condensor and an evaporator such as shown in FIG. 1. Also included but not shown FIG. 1 is an adjustable speed blower or fan for controlling the velocity of reduced temperature ambient air blown unto the passenger compartment of the vehicle through ducts and vents. A special control panel accessible to the occupants of the vehicle is typically mounted on or under the dashboard for controlling the operation of the components shown in FIG. 1 as well as the blower. Newer air conditioning system kits for older cars may include small rotary, linear or step motors or other devices providing mechanical movements which are used to provide the force necessary to move those portions of an automobile air conditioning system such as valves and vents which require a mechanical motion to adjust their operational settings.
Some old car hobbyists are purists and object to the use of anything different on the dashboards of their vehicles from what was originally installed on the older automobile. Specifically, these old car hobbyists desire to use the original equipment control panel mounted either onto or under the dashboard to control the air conditioner. Other old car hobbyists insist on the use of the original ventilation control panel that came with the automobile when it rolled off the production line even if the original ventilation control panel made no provision for the use of an air conditioner. If a modern after-market air conditioner is used, the desire to use the original manual controls presents two difficult problems for the old car hobbyist. The first problem is the direction of the movement of the manual control with respect to the markings on the ventilation control panel as seen by the occupants of the vehicle. The second problem is the length of mechanical control movement; particularly, the length of the mechanical control movement for adjusting temperature.
Further complicating the installation of an air conditioning system into an old car that did not have an air conditioner as original equipment are the manually operated sheathed Bowden-style control cables. The sheathed Bowden-style manually operated control cables typically run from the back or unseen portion of the dashboard mounted control panel assembly to the various valves, vents and components which govern the operation of an automobile air conditioner. One problem is assuring a proper length for the manually operated Bowden-style control cables which are attached to the actuator arms on the back of the dashboard mounted control panel assembly. Another problem is the appearance and mounting of the Bowden-style cables themselves. Many old car hobbyists who take their handiwork to competitive car shows strive to attain a clean uncluttered appearance of the engine compartment which is free of any type of control cables or control cable mounting brackets.
Accordingly, a need remains in the art for a system and method that will allow air conditioners to be placed in older cars. Such system must both eliminate the use of manually operated Bowden-style control cables; but, where possible, enable utilization of existing dashboard mounted control panel assemblies. Further, such system and method should be adaptable for connection and mounting to an existing dashboard mounted control panel assembly without the need to modify the existing dashboard mounted control panel assembly.